Barry Sanders Named Madden NFL 25 Cover Athlete

After weeks of voting and 40 million votes, EA has announced this year's Madden NFL cover athlete. Barry Sanders will grace the cover of Madden NFL 25, which will celebrate the franchise's 25 years of console success.

“The Madden NFL franchise has such a rich tradition and history, and there’s no better way to celebrate our 25th Anniversary than by having one of the best players of all-time on the cover,” said Anthony Stevenson, senior director of marketing for EA Sports. “Barry Sanders has long been a fan favorite, so we’re proud to have him as the face of Madden NFL 25.”

EA Sports has also released the firsttwo of several "playbooks" that will detail the improvements and changes made over last year's Madden game. So far, the publisher has announced a new "precision modifier," 30 new "moves," and a new "force impact system."

Madden NFL 25 will be released on August 27 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. EA has not mentioned whether the game will be coming to the PlayStation 4 or the next-generation Microsoft console, and a mention of a Wii U version of the game was conspicuously absent from EA's announcement.

A rough-looking teaser trailer for the game was released alongside the cover announcement: